Hanging Rock, Ohio

We invite you to come visit us in Hanging Rock, Ohio! This place initiated the Iron Furnace Industry in Appalachia and the Mid-West in 1824. The flurry of iron activity began at the Union Furnace which was located a few miles outside our village. Only the ruins of that first "stack" furnace remains.

Union Furnace began operation as the first furnace in the Hanging Rock Iron Region. Many more would follow.

"From about 1830 to 1900, the Hanging Rock Iron Region (HRIR) produced the majority of iron within the United States. The iron of the region was excavated rather than mined, and the hills were rich with hardwoods. Numerous small furnace sites sprung up throughout the region, employing a few hundred men each. Most operated for years on the verge of bankruptcy, due to numerous factors, including high transportation costs, mismanagement, and lack of scale. High in sulfur content, the yield on HRIR ore was low usually in the 35-50% range. By 1870, iron from the Mesawabi region (Lake Superior) was yielding 65% iron, with significantly reduced transportation costs - by water to Erie, and by rail to the massive operations founded by Andrew Carnegie. While the industry took some time to die out, by the early 1900's, most of the furnaces were blown out, and many of the once vibrant towns surrounding them shrunk into oblivion. Today, only the stone stacks remain, crumbling in the hills of Southern Ohio and northern Kentucky.

Several furnaces existed in the HRIR region prior to 1826, but this is generally considered the year when the Ironton and Hanging Rock ores were identified, sparking a major frenzy of activity in the region. The initial finders were Hamilton, Andrew Ellison, Archibald Paull, Andrew Dempsey, and Mr. Rogers. Thomas Means father, General McArthur, and Thomas James were also three primary business men in Adams county. These businessmen started the HRIR era."